AUGUSTA, GA. — Forty years after his idol, Seve Ballesteros, won the Masters, Jon Rahm started this year's tournament by four-putting the first hole.
Masters leaderboard packed with talent: Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and many more
Rahm opened his round with a four-putt before finishing with a 65 and a self-deprecating Seve Ballesteros quote.
April 7, 2023 at 12:59AM
Asked to explain, Rahm showed off his knowledge of golf history by delightedly reprising what Ballesteros once said after a four-putt.
"As Seve said, 'I miss, I miss, I miss, I make,' " Rahm said with a smile.
Rahm was 2 over par after one hole; he would play the next 17 holes in 8 under, shooting a first-round 65 to tie Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka for the lead.
Since 2005, only Tiger Woods has won The Masters while residing outside the top 10 after the first round.
Thursday, 12 players shot 68 or better, creating a leaderboard packed with talent and pedigrees. The Diverse Dozen includes:
- One Norwegian: Viktor Hovland, who shot 65 and is trying to win his first major.
- One LIV golfer: Brooks Koepka, who shot 65, has won four majors, and says his reconstructed knee is healthy for the first time in years.
- Rahm, who has won one major and stands third in the world golf ranking.
- Cam Young, who shot 67 and almost won the British Open and PGA Championship last year.
- Jason Day, the former world No. 1, who has rebuilt his swing and who played the last six holes in 3 under.
- Shane Lowry, who has won a major and shot 68.
- Xander Schauffele, perhaps the best player in the world not to have won a major.
- Adam Scott, whose lone major was the 2013 Masters.
- Gary Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open.
- Scottie Scheffler, who is trying to become the fourth player to defend a Masters title and who, on Thursday, narrowly missed about six makeable eagle or birdie putts.
- Amateur Sam Bennett of Texas A&M, who was 3 under after two holes and is seven shots ahead of any other amateur.
- Sam Burns, who at 26 has won five PGA Tour events but has not contended in a major.
On Thursday night, The Masters announced it would move up Friday's tee times by a half-hour to try to get in as many holes as possible before heavy rains and winds are expected to swamp Augusta National on Friday afternoon and Saturday.
The Masters hasn't been forced to finish on a Monday since 1983, and whenever they finish, those who had afternoon tee times Thursday could benefit greatly from playing on Friday morning.
Rahm and Hovland are scheduled to play in the afternoon. Koepka and Scheffler are among those scheduled to play in the morning.
After his round, Koepka detailed what he called his "gruesome'' knee injury, saying his kneecap was shattered, and that he remembers biting into a towel and crying when his trainer would try to help him bend his leg.
"I just slipped,'' he said. "I was at home. I dislocated my knee and then I tried to put it back in and that's when I shattered my kneecap and during the process tore my MPFL (medial patellofemoral ligament). My leg was sideways and out. My foot was turned out, and when I snapped it back in, because the kneecap had already shattered, it went in pretty good.
"My knee modeling days are over.''
Koepka sounded confident and relaxed, as opposed to Rory McIlroy, the world No. 2, who shot a 72. He is in his ninth attempt to complete the career grand slam by winning the Masters.
If Rahm was cheerful, Hovland's wildly colored golf shirt made him look giddy. He was all smiles after his round, saying "I just wear what they tell me to wear.''
The 65 looked good on him, and his scorecard.
Frankie Capan III, who will be playing on the PGA Tour next year, finished at 13 under par at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.
